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One common nightmare scenario for new homeowners: you find the perfect house - a beautiful new kitchen, number of bedrooms, and beautiful deck. Then you find out later that your new neighbors have loud parties until 2 a.m. on weeknights.

Or there's a barking dog right next door. You are stuck with a perfect home in the wrong location.

What do you do?

This phenomenon can be called "neighborhood regret," and it's genuine. If you are not looking out for it, you may lose sight of how important your new neighborhood is going to be.

It's why you can't just consider the house itself. You have to think the whole package.

According to a recent Trulia survey, 36% of residents would move to a different neighborhood than their current one if they had a chance.

How to Search for a New Neighborhood

It could be argued that the neighborhood is just as important as the house you buy. You can always change the aspects of your home you don't like over time.

However, it's a lot less likely that you will have any way of influencing the makeup of your neighborhood.

If you are about to buy a house, or you are looking for a new community for this exact reason, follow these smart tips about where to start your search.

Make a List of Your Priorities

Most buyers know some of their top priorities before they start looking: school district, proximity to the interstate, walkability, etc.

Those are all great things, but think about the details you might be overlooking:

Can you handle a neighborhood with a lot of dogs?

Do you want to live on a street with other families?

Do you want to avoid a place where college students often throw late-night parties?

Scope Out Your Top Choices Online

The chances are good that this list of priorities will narrow your neighborhood choices down to just a few. If you have kids, the school district will probably make a significant impact on your neighborhood choice.

You can use Niche.com to find "user reviews" on the areas you are looking for. Niche is like a search engine for neighborhoods and schools. It is made up of a team of scientists and parents who have taken all the raw data about your area and taken the guesswork out of your search. Information is presented in an easy-to-use format that allows you to search under many different criteria and receive ratings and reviews from actual residents of the area you're searching for.

Take a Look for Yourself

The best way to find out about your potential new digs is to go there yourself. Drive through at all different times of day and night. If it's walkable, consider getting a coffee and spending some time strolling around.

Notice what you see and hear. Is the car traffic loud? Is there construction nearby? Are you noticing graffiti you didn't see when you toured the house?

Now, summon your courage and knock on a few doors. The chances are good that you will get your best information this way. The neighbors will know how quiet it is at night. They will have experience with potential crime, and it won't just be a statistic. You have got nothing to lose. If the next-door neighbor is rude, maybe that's a sign you should move on.

Takeaway

The environment you live in can be just as important as the state of your new kitchen or the number of bedrooms. Take some time to research your new neighborhood before you make that big purchase and avoid neighborhood regret.

If you have any questions about this process and live in the Detroit Metro area, we would be happy to help.

A little taste of fall weather has begun in Michigan. The cider mills have opened, and most importantly, the school year has just started. With summer vacation over and the flurry of preparation for the school year to begin off of your plate, you might be turning your attention to buying or selling your home.

A good school district is one of the top reasons families choose the place where they live. With most homes being two-income homes, it's vital to parents that the schools their kids go to are safe, welcoming, and highly rated. A good school district often brings better real-estate value to the homes in that area.

Northville and Novi, Michigan are no exception to this rule. We are happy to report that both communities offer some of the best public educations possible in the state of Michigan.

The Niche 2019 School Rankings

If you haven’t heard about Niche, it's a little bit like the search engine for neighborhoods and schools complete with all the most helpful reviews from actual students and parents.

Niche is a team of data scientists, engineers, and parents who gather and analyze the raw data that's out there about your dream neighborhood and school and they put it into an accessible format.

You can go to Niche.com to search for any area you are interested in, or you can find out great things about your neighborhood just by reviewing one of the lists they publish every year.

For more information on how Niche ranks schools, please visit methodology.

What Do Parents And Students Say About Northville And Novi?

Northville High School is ranked the #1 Best Public School in Wayne County. With "A" grades for Academics, Teachers, Clubs, College Prep and Health and Safety, Northville High is about the best place you could go in this county. However, it's also one of the best schools to send your kid in the state of Michigan! It's ranked #4 for college prep schools #6 for STEM schools and #8 for best high schools in the entire state!

Novi High School is ranked #1 Best Magnet High School in Michigan. At #4 best public high schools in the entire state of Michigan, Novi High School has it all. With "A" grades in all the categories, including Diversity, and #7 for best college prep school, it would be hard to find a better public school education for your kids.

Novi and Northville School Districts Rank High

What does Niche have to say about grades K-9 in Novi and Northville? All great things.

Northville Public Schools has the #2 rated best public school district in Wayne County. It is 9th in the entire state of Michigan and is considered the 5th best place to work as a teacher in the state. At #16 out of 556 for the best teachers in the state of Michigan, Northville is one of the very best.

Even though fall weather hasn't set in entirely here in Michigan - with temperatures still in the high 80s some weeks - all of the fall fun activities are right around the corner. With Labor Day weekend past and schools starting, this time of year marks a new beginning with all your favorite fall activities and festivals.

Maybury Farm - a working farm in the heart of Metro Detroit is connected to sprawling Maybury State Park. It has an exciting autumn lineup in store for citizens of Northville and beyond.

If you haven't visited Maybury Farm, there are daily and weekly activities for all ages, including live animals! Maybury Farm also hosts several community events throughout the year. The famous corn maze and Pumpkin Festival is the highlight of the year. Fall 2018 is ramping up to the best year yet for this little farm!

Maybury Farm's Famous Corn Maze

Dates: September 14 - October 28

Location: Maybury Farm, 50165 Eight Mile Rd, Northville, MI 48167

Hours:

Fridays: 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Saturdays: 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Sundays: 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Admission:

$9 per person that includes farm admission and tractor wagon ride to and from the maze.

Admission for children 2 and under is free.

*The last wagon leaves for the corn maze 1 hour before closing time

One of the most popular fall activities in the Midwest, where corn is abundant, is a corn maze. Many of the adults who grew up in the area can remember playing and hiding in fields of corn throughout the summer months. Conquering a scary or challenging corn maze has long been considered a fall right of passage.

This year at Maybury, the corn maze is set to be exceptional. There are 10 acres of lustrous corn being cut into a brand new, never-before-seen design. The theme this year is "Farmers Feed Families."

It's not just any maze! It will take you over an hour to complete. You will play three different games as you make your way through it. Those who complete the whole challenge may enter to win a big prize at the end of the season.

If you or your kiddos aren't up for the 1 hour, 9-acre challenge, a 1-acre maze has been constructed just for the little ones. It only takes 20 minutes to complete. In addition, if you want an extra challenge, the nighttime maze run may be just for you. On Fridays and Saturdays, the maze will be open until 10:00 p.m. so you can make a spooky night of it.

Parmenter’s Cider and Donuts

In addition to the Corn maze, don't forget Parmenter's Cider Mill’s cider and donuts will be available in the farm's general store.

If you want the full Michigan fall day experience without visiting several locations, plan to enjoy Northville's own cider and donuts from Parmenter's. This cider mill dates back to 1873 in the city of Northville. It's the next best thing to visiting Parmenter's itself.

U-Pick Pumpkin Patch

This is the perfect time to visit the pumpkin patch for your very own pumpkin or two (or three or four) to decorate your front porch. Maybury Farm has pumpkins on the vine.

October is the last month for visitors to the farm to see the animals.

Make a day of your Maybury Farm visit by petting and feeding the animals before the farm closes for the winter. Say hello and goodbye-for-now to all your favorite furry friends.

Group Outings to Maybury Farm

Make an advance reservation for your group on a weeknight. Enjoy all the farm has to offer as a private tour by calling 248-374-0200. Groups wishing to come during regular business hours don't need to make a reservation.

Bonfires are available during regular business hours or for a group reservation.

Takeaway

Don't pass up one of your first and best opportunities to experience the best of autumn. Plan to visit Maybury Farm!

For more information, please contact Cindy Kern, Maybury Farm Director, at 248-704-9211 or visit the website at www.mayburyfarm.org.

It's time again for the city of Northville's most prominent and proudest event: the Heritage Festival! With all of its old buildings and the historic Mill Race Village, Northville's Heritage Festival is where the city really shines.

This is your chance to experience the full glory of Northville's past, present, and future. See actors in full Victorian costume against the backdrop of Victorian buildings. They don't make things like this anymore! And you can prepare yourself by dropping in at the Victorian clothing sale being held at Mill Race Village before the festival. Come celebrate in style!

Victorian Clothing Sale – Northville, MI

Sunday, September 9th from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Sunday Only Antiques, Linens & Lace and other Needful Things

This annual clothing sale is your chance to find the perfect item for your wardrobe, your costume attire, your home or anything else you can imagine! Come to find genuinely one-of-a-kind items - like antique lace, linens, and other handmade goods.

There will also be new clothing, vintage clothing, and gently used clothing available from various vendors with an eye for Victorian fashion and beautifully curated collections. Come to browse and get inspired, take in the vintage goods and atmosphere, or to buy a full outfit especially for Northville's Heritage Festival!

For more information, you can call the Northville Historical Society 248-348-1845 Monday through Wednesday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm or visit the website at www.millracenorthville.org.

30th Annual Heritage Festival (formerly Victorian Festival)

Downtown Northville, Michigan

September 14-16, 2018

Friday, September 14, 2018 from 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Saturday, September 15, 2018 from 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Sunday, September 16, 2018 from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

With so many fun activities and live events, Northville's Heritage Festival is the perfect place to welcome fall with the whole family. As always, the Heritage Festival celebrates historic Mill Race Village and Parmenter's Cider Mill. Both of these places have been the foundation of charming downtown Northville since the beginning. Parmenter's is one of the only urban cider mills in the state. Stop by for cider and donuts and stay to feed the ducks and sit by the stream.